Career Opportunity

Principal Real Property Appraiser – Principal Assessor Appeals Representative - Office of the Assessor-Recorder (4267)

Recruitment: RTF0132167-01071465

Published: March 11, 2023

Apply using SmartRecruiters, the City and County of San Francisco's application portal.

About:

3.10.2023 Update: This Job Ad has been amended for clerical updates.

Appointment Type: Permanent Exempt: This position is excluded by the Charter from the competitive Civil Service examination process and shall serve at the discretion of the Appointing Officer. The duration of the appointment shall not exceed 36 months.

Application Opening: March 10, 2023

Application Deadline: Tuesday, March 14, 2023

Compensation Range: $126,178 - $165,100 annually

Recruitment ID: RTF0132167-01071465

San Francisco is a vibrant and dynamic city, on the forefront of economic growth & innovation, urban development, arts & entertainment, as well as social issues & change. This rich tapestry of culture and ideas is sustained by our City's commitment to heighten the quality of life for the diverse population of San Franciscans and residents of the greater Bay Area. Our employees play an important role not only in making our City what it is today, but also in shaping the future of San Francisco.

Our Office

The Office of the Assessor-Recorder is responsible for carrying out property tax-related functions governed by the State Constitution and State and local laws. Our core responsibilities include locating all taxable property in the City and County of San Francisco, identifying ownership, establishing a taxable value, and applying all legal exemptions. Property broadly includes both real property and personal property owned by businesses. The Office of the Assessor-Recorder is also responsible for recording documents and maintaining those public records. Over 400 different types of documents are recorded annually, including deeds of trust, reconveyances, liens, and public marriage licenses. The Office is also responsible for collecting any transfer tax due upon a change in property ownership. The Office of the Assessor-Recorder strives to conduct our work with the core principals of professionalism and integrity. 

What We Do

We’re proud of our work to ensure the financial stability of San Francisco. This past year, our Office successfully enrolled property cumulatively valued at over $328 billion generating over $3.7 billion dollars in property tax revenue. This revenue is the single largest source of the City’s General Fund, representing a contribution of over $2.4 billion or nearly one-third in Fiscal Year 2020-21. These funds pay for crucial services ranging from public safety and education to neighborhood improvements and health and family support services.

Our success is a product of the Office’s continued focus and investment in our people, systems, services, and engagement. In recent years, we have taken significant steps toward modernizing our operations, including helping to lead a cross-departmental effort to modernize city-wide Property Assessment & Taxation Systems (Project SMART). When our new system goes live, it  will replace the legacy property assessment system we currently depend on to manage the City’s $328 billion in assessed property value, providing increased security, efficiency and service, including greater integration with other City systems like those managed by our sister finance departments at the Office of the Treasurer & Tax Collector and the City Controller's Office.

Role description

The Office of the Assessor-Recorder currently has one full time vacancy as a Principal Assessor Appeals Representative in class 4267 Real Property Appraiser. Under general direction, the 4267 Principal Assessor Appeals Representative will present the Assessor’s commercial cases at hearings before the AAB. In addition, the Principal Assessor Appeals Representative may be responsible for the appraisal of real property for tax purposes; performs unusual or difficult appraisal work; supervises the activities of subordinate personnel engaged in such work; and performs related duties as required. The position may also be responsible for: assisting in coordinating, interpreting and enforcing existing evaluation methods and procedures in connection with real property appraisal activities; making regular contact with the general public, outside organizations and their representatives in furnishing and obtaining information on real property appraisals and tax assessment matters; preparing and reviewing detailed appraisal reports and records.

Essential duties may include, but are not limited to:

1. Represents the Assessor before the Assessment Appeals Board, and/or appears as an expert witness before judicial and quasi-judicial bodies in order to answer questions on assessment issues; makes public presentations; prepares and presents at an Assessment Appeals Board; and consults with City Attorney in writing legal findings of fact. Represents the office at public forums, taxpayer fairs, professional or appraiser organizations, etc.

2. Lead the review and development of appeals processes and procedures.

3. Advises Assessor, Deputies, Chiefs, and Senior Managers in establishing procedures, interpreting legislation and setting department goals. Evaluates, develops and implements policies and procedures for real property appraisal work in order to improve department operations and productivity. For this project-based position, these activities will focus on our office’s activities at the Assessment Appeals Board.

4. If assigned, be prepared to: 

   • Supervise the work of senior, journey level and trainee Real Property Appraisers engaged in appraisal and assessment work within an assigned area of activity by planning, coordinating and monitoring overall team/section workload and productivity to ensure maximum productivity, timely completion of all work, and compliance with Real Property productivity standards. This includes ongoing work, projects and special assignments. 

   • Apply and enforce existing tax laws and statutes and assessment methods and procedures; interprets the ramifications of current assessment legislation in connection with real property appraisal activities; explains the above to subordinates, representatives of other departments and the general public. 

   • Review and approve all real property valuations, pursuant to the Revenue and Taxation Code, SBE Rules, Standards manual, office policies and procedures; reviews developed income multipliers for multi-unit income-producing residential properties and derived capitalization rates for commercial sales; reviews and approves completed parcel management; reviews all lien date progress assessment valuations; and reviews all direct enrollments in appraisers’ assigned workload. 

   • Resolve valuation problems by reviewing complaint investigations performed by subordinates and by conferring with taxpayers and their representatives in order to determine and explain changes in valuation. 

   • Perform appraisals on complex properties; performs difficult special investigations and surveys related to complex transactions, corporate acquisitions, and mergers.

   • Maintain accurate, timely, and automated appraisal data, and report status and progress on goals and objectives. Provides status of appraiser production relative to interim and long term goals as requested by management. Verifies that appraisers prepare and maintain supporting documentation and data on valuations. Prepares technical reports, records, instructions, memos, correspondence, progress reports and other documents related to the appraisal of real property for tax assessment purposes. Responds to taxpayer and inter-City correspondence.

   • Interact with other agencies and City departments in order to resolve complex assessment issues and implements uniformity of assessment standards.

   • Maintain professional certification and competency by completing legally required hours of State approved appraisal courses annually. Ensures that all assigned staff complete training requirements and maintain professional certification and competency.

Additional duties may include, but are not limited to:

1. Supervises the work of senior, journey level and trainee Real Property Appraisers engaged in appraisal and assessment work within an assigned area of activity by planning, coordinating and monitoring overall team/section workload and productivity to ensure maximum productivity, timely completion of all work, and compliance with Real Property productivity standards. This includes ongoing work, projects and special assignments.
2. Applies and enforces existing tax laws and statutes and assessment methods and procedures; interprets the ramifications of current assessment legislation in connection with real property appraisal activities; explains the above to subordinates, representatives of other departments and the general public.
3. Advises Assessor, Deputies, Chiefs, and Senior Managers in establishing procedures, interpreting legislation and setting department goals. Evaluates, develops and implements policies and procedures for real property appraisal work in order to improve department operations and productivity.
4. Reviews and approves all real property valuations, pursuant to the Revenue and Taxation Code, SBE Rules, Standards manual, office policies and procedures; reviews developed income multipliers for multi-unit income-producing residential properties and derived capitalization rates for commercial sales; reviews and approves completed parcel management; reviews all lien date progress assessment valuations; and reviews all direct enrollments in appraisers assigned workload.
5. Resolves valuation problems by reviewing complaint investigations performed by subordinates and by conferring with taxpayers and their representatives in order to determine and explain changes in valuation.
6. Performs appraisals on complex properties; performs difficult special investigations and surveys related to complex transactions, corporate acquisitions, and mergers.
7. Maintains accurate, timely, and automated appraisal data, and report status and progress on goals and objectives. Provides status of appraiser production relative to interim and long term goals as requested by management. Verifies that appraisers prepare and maintain supporting documentation and data on valuations. Prepares technical reports, records, instructions, memos, correspondence, progress reports and other documents related to the appraisal of real property for tax assessment purposes. Responds to taxpayer and inter-City correspondence.
8. Interacts with other agencies and City departments in order to resolve complex assessment issues and implements uniformity of assessment standards.
9. Represents the Assessor before the Assessment Appeals Board, and/or appears as an expert witness before judicial and quasi-judicial bodies in order to answer questions on assessment issues; makes public presentations; prepares and presents at an Assessment Appeals Board; and consults with City Attorney in writing legal findings of fact. Represents the office at public forums, taxpayer fairs, professional or appraiser organizations, etc.
10. Maintains professional certification and competency by completing legally required hours of State approved appraisal courses annually. Ensures that all assigned staff complete training requirements and maintain professional certification and competency.
11. May include additional duties as assigned.

12. assigned.

How to qualify

These minimum qualifications establish the education, training, experience, special skills and/or license(s) which are required for employment in the classification.  Please note, additional qualifications (i.e., special conditions) may apply to a particular position and will be stated on the exam/job announcement.

Education:

Requires a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university.

Experience:

Five (5) years of experience appraising real property in a County Assessor's Office, including two (2) years appraising income-producing residential, commercial and industrial properties.

License and Certification:

Possession of a valid California driver license.

Eligibility for certification from the California State Board of Equalization as an appraiser for property tax purposes. In accordance with the California State Board of Equalization, appointees to this class must possess or obtain permanent certification as an appraiser for property tax purposes, within one (1) year of appointment, and must maintain certification as a condition of continued employment. Possession of a valid California driver license.

Substitution:

Additional relevant experience in the appraisal of real property, building, cost estimating, engineering, and accounting or in buying, selling or managing real estate, or in a related area as defined by the State of California, may be substituted for the education on a year for year basis (up to a maximum of two (2) years). One (1) year of education is equivalent to either thirty (30) semester units or forty-five (45) quarter units.

Seven (7) years of experience appraising real property as a fee, institutional or government appraiser, including three (3) years appraising income-producing residential, commercial and industrial properties, may substitute for the required experience.

Completion of a 12 month real property appraiser trainee program equivalent to the City and County of San Francisco's 4260 Real Property Appraiser Trainee Program may substitute for one (1) year of required professional experience.

Verification of Education and Experience:

Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. If education verification is required, information on how to verify education requirements, including verifying foreign education credits or degree equivalency, can be found at https://sfdhr.org/how-verify-education-requirements

Note: Falsifying one’s education, training, or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification for this and future job opportunities with the City and County of San Francisco.

All work experience, education, training and other information substantiating how you meet the minimum qualifications must be included on your application by the filing deadline. Information submitted after the filing deadline will not be considered in determining whether you meet the minimum qualifications.

Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a completed City and County of San Francisco application.

Applications completed improperly may be cause for ineligibility, disqualification or may lead to lower scores.

Selection Procedures

Applications will be screened and evaluated for qualifying experience. Additional screening mechanisms may be implemented in order to determine candidate’s qualifications. Only qualified candidates whose experience best meets the needs of the position will be selected to continue on to additional steps in the selection process, which may include an interview. Applicants meeting the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement. Qualified applicants with disabilities requiring reasonable accommodation in the selection process must contact the Agency by phone at (415) 554-6000 or, if hearing impaired at (415) 554-6015 (TTY).

What else should I know?

Additional Information Regarding Employment with the City and County of San Francisco:

• Information About The Hiring Process
• Conviction History
• Employee Benefits Overview  
• Equal Employment Opportunity 
• Disaster Service Worker
• ADA Accommodation
• Veterans Preference
• Seniority Credit in Promotional Exams
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement

HOW TO APPLY
Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are only accepted through an online process. Visit https://careers.smartrecruiters.com/CityAndCountyOfSanFrancisco1/ and begin the application process.

• Select the “I’m Interested” button and follow instructions on the screen

Applicants may be contacted by email about this recruitment and, therefore, it is their responsibility to ensure that their registered email address is accurate and kept up-to-date. Also, applicants must ensure that email from CCSF is not blocked on their computer by a spam filter. To prevent blocking, applicants should set up their email to accept CCSF mail from the following addresses (@sfgov.org, @sfdpw.org, @sfport.com, @flysfo.com, @sfwater.org, @sfdph.org, @asianart.org, @sfmta.com, @sfpl.org, @dcyf.org, @first5sf.org, @famsf.org, @ccsf.edu, @smartalerts.info, and @smartrecruiters.com).

Applicants will receive a confirmation email that their online application has been received in response to every announcement for which they file. Applicants should retain this confirmation email for their records. Failure to receive this email means that the online application was not submitted or received.

If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the human resources analyst, Kimberly Gibney by email at kimberly.gibney@sfgov.org.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT:  All City and County of San Francisco employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. Someone is fully vaccinated when 14 days have passed since they received the final dose of a two-shot vaccine or a dose of a one-shot vaccine. Any new hire must present proof of full vaccination status to be appointed. Any new hire who will be routinely assigned or occasionally enter High-Risk Settings, must provide proof of having received a COVID-19 booster vaccine by March 1, 2022, or once eligible.

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.